Springfield Fame
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| Springfield Fame | |
|---|---|
| League | United States Basketball League |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Dissolved | 1986 |
| Arena | Springfield Civic Center |
| Location | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Championships | 1 1985 (no playoffs) |
The Springfield Fame were a men's spring-professional basketball team in the United States Basketball League from Springfield, Massachusetts, the hometown of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which gave the inspiration of the team name.[1]
The Springfield Fame were founded in 1985. In their inaugural season, they finished with a record of 19-6 and were the first USBL Champions. The league did not add a playoff system until the 1987 season. In their second season, the Fame made national headlines by signing 27-year-old women's basketball legend Nancy Lieberman. Lieberman thus became the first female basketball player to play regular season minutes in a men's pro league. They would finish second with a 23–10 record and 0.5 game behind the Tampa Bay Flash. The Fame would fold following the 1986 season.